Gas sells for under $1/litre in one B.C. community

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate New Year’s Eve, how about filling up your gas tank?

Gas prices plunged this morning in the South Okanagan and, according to gasbuddy.com, some Penticton stations are selling gas as low as 99.9 cents per litre (the lowest in the province, according to the website), ranging up to $1.109.

That’s lower than other major communities in the Okanagan. Summerland is reporting prices in the range of $1.13 to $1.15, and Kelowna is in the $1.20 range, as is Vernon. Vancouver gas prices are in the $1.28 to $1.34 range.

Across western Canada and the Prairies, the lowest prices on the website were showing as low as 83 cents per litre in Alberta, 80.4 cents per litre in Saskatchewan and 72.5 cents per litre in Manitoba

A lineup started to form at one gas station in Penticton where the price was at 99.9 cents per litre on Monday morning.

“Wow, I was actually out walking my dog and a complete stranger told me that the gas prices here was 99.9 and I was like, ‘Thank you so much. I’m getting in my car and filling up,’” said Fiona Ross. “It looks like I arrived at the right time, because everyone is starting to line up now. I feel like I won the lottery.”

Ross said she was in Vancouver last week and was seeing prices at $1.70. She couldn’t remember the last time she saw gas prices under $1.

“2018 didn’t have a great start, so it is nice to have a great end with something like this,” she said.

Other places listed ongasbuddy.com’s Top 10 lowest prices in B.C. are Fernie ($100.9), Prince George ($102.9), Kamloops ($103.9), and the rest are in the South Okanagan.

“Heading into 2019, gasoline demand is expected to dwindle during the month of January, an expected change following the busy holiday travel season,” reads the AAA press release.

“At the same time, OPEC will begin production cuts on January 1, with hopes that the shift in global supply will push oil prices higher. The effectiveness of the cuts will likely not be known until later in the first quarter.”